Montgomery County won’t see high speed rail route

Published 5:16 pm, Saturday, April 11, 2015

Montgomery County is off the table for a high-speed rail route but neighboring counties could still see the high-speed train that would connect Houston and Dallas.

During an information meeting Saturday night in Montgomery, a handful of residents questioned former Harris County Judge and President of the Texas Central Rail Robert Eckels about his company’s plan for the rail through Texas. Eckels said the route will utilize the utility corridor which would take the rail west of Montgomery County.

Hot button issues were eminent domain of property and how the rail would affect county roads. A resident asked Eckels what would happen to property taken by eminent domain that wasn’t used noting in California, that unused land was auctioned off instead of given back to the original property owner.

“We don’t get that property,” he said. “We aren’t a California style project. If we don’t build it, it goes right back to the property owner.”

Texas has traditionally granted private railroad companies the power of eminent domain, according to Kyle Workman, with Texas Against High Speed Rail. However, he added TCR should not be granted that power since he believes the rail is not a traditional rail line.

As for disrupting road, Eckels said that is not an issue.

“In no place are we going to cut off a county road, an FM road or cut off access to some body’s farm,” he said noting there would be pass through areas for vehicle traffic in different areas of the route.

TCR is a private Texas company working to bring high-speed rail between Dallas and Houston, according to the TRC website, www.texascentral.com. The company is working with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration on the project. The train would travel up to 205 mph with stations in Houston and Dallas.

Eckels said there are no foreign investors on the project and added most investors are from Texas. When asked by several residents about Japanese investors, Eckels said there were none but added the train is being purchased from a Japanese company which is helping with some permitting costs.

“They want us to buy their train,” Eckels said about why the Japanese company is helping with some costs.

Workman said the information presented at the come-and-go meeting was nothing new and his organization is continuing its fight to keep the rail out of Texas.

“This is the second meeting I have been to and it is the same stuff they presented before,” Workman said. “I don’t see anything new.”

Workman said his group is going to submit letters to legislators, both state and national, urging them to put pressure on transportation board to deny TCR’s application.

“We want to do whatever we can to build a box around the project,” he said.

While Eckels said the project would bring tax dollars to the counties it crosses, Workman said the project is “doomed” from the beginning and will end up being supported by tax payer subsidy.

“There are no profitable high-speed rail lines in the world,” Workman said. “They are all heavily taxpayer supported.”

While Eckels said the company would help provide millions in property taxes to counties, Workman said amount would not offset the loss in property values of the land affected by the route.

Many residents, legislators and community leaders in Montgomery County and surrounding counties have opposed the project. In fact, on Feb. 9, Montgomery County Commissioners Court discussed the formation of a regional planning commission in an effort to stop the high-speed rail route that could possibly cut through West Montgomery County.

The commission could be formed according to the Local Government Code Chapter 391. That chapter allows for local governmental entities to “join and cooperate to improve the health, safety and general welfare of their residents.”

Commissioners are expected to discuss the 391 Commission at an upcoming Montgomery County Commissioners Court meeting.

In addition to the 391 Commission, there are five pieces of legislation pending related to keeping high-speed rail out of Texas. The legislation addresses different issues, including requiring high-speed rail developers to get prior consent by the governing body of a county or city and prohibits eminent domain by entities constructing high-speed rail facilities.